Automatic fluid-pressure displacement-pump



C. B. PENDLETON. AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11.1919. RENEWED JULY 17. 1920.

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Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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0. B. PENDLETON.

AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP. APPLICATION FILED NOV. II, I9I9- RENEWED .IULY I7, 1920.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

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as z 53 52 f I z II I 20 d g g a vwemboz 6% arlas'fi Pendie far 7%MM C. B. PENDLETON. AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1!.I9l9- RENEWED JULY 17, I920.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

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UNI ED sT'Ar s CHARLES PENDLETON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

AUTOMATIC FLUID-PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT-PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 11, 1919, Serial No. 337,146. Renewed July 17, 1920. Serial No. 397,154.

which it .appertains to make and use the same.

' wells.

This invention relates to automatic fluid however, that the improvements are also 'i'r'rore or less seeping or retarded flow of the adapted for installation in other analogous relations and for the pumping of other llqBldS than oils, as occasions might ar1se.

roduction from the wells of an oilfield is to an extent dependent upon the drainage conditions of the oil bearing strata and the oil into the well casing, so that regardless of the quantitative volume of the supply source the output is largely governed by said drainage conditions and the varying subterranean pressures. The rate of flow is, therefore, naturally slowed down as the un-' derground pressure is partly relieved, which will of course follow in due time after the well has been brought in. Also the head of oil falls in the casmg, and pumping operations, becoming necessary, must be carried on periodically or at suitable intervals because the pumped discharge is not immediately compensated for by. a corresponding inflow of oil into the caslng. Hence it follows that the frequency of the pumping operations becomes an important factor, especially owing to the productive limitations of a given field and the number of rival wells exhausting the supply thereof, and for a maximum recovery of oil these pumping operations should be as nearly continuous as may be, or at least started up immediately as each pumped out casing is again filled to the desired pumping level.

However, with the general types of pump riggings heretofore employed, anything like an approach to continuous pumping opera B. PENDLE- tions is not practically feasible, as will be well understood by those engaged in the industry, and as a matter of fact many well casings fill up to the requisite pumping levels long before others do, thusbeing left idle and unproductive in that state for an indefinite period, whereas the pumps are only operated about three or four times a day, and then in a collectively balanced group as a rule.

Also, these pump riggings are constantly getting out of order, perhaps owing to their numerous parts, and they are of a more or less complex structure, entailing considerable expense from the viewpoints of manufacture, installation, repair and operation.

One of the main objects of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome all of these objectionable features, and others which will not be enlarged upon, not only as to decreased costs'of manufacture and installat1on but also as. to prolonged durability and maxlmum efliciency and economy in operation. Other objects and advantages will be so clearly apparent as incidental to the following1 disclosure, that further initial reference t ereto would serve no useful purpose and. would only be undesirable surplusage.

In the accomplishment of the desired ends, the instant invention particularly embodies a novelly combined arran ement of a paired PATENT orrlce.

set of valvular parts wit cooperating and.

co-acting elements which are so 0 eratively housed within a suitably walled liquid displacement chamber as to function automatically, in the positive control of pumping operations, both with reference to the opening of a displacing pressure fluid line, functioning as hereinafter referred, to, immediately upon a predetermined level having been reached by the liquid supply in the well casing, for starting up and continuing the pumping force until the volume of liquid then in the displacement chamber has been discharged, and also as to the shuttingofi of the pumping force while opening communication between the well casing and displacement chamber for refilling the latter. vThus theperiodical pumpin operations are automatically conducted, wlthout any porticular attention whatsoever on the part of an operative, assuming that the pressure that such operations may be continued throughout the night,if desired, as well as drawn from a well casing as an assembled bodily whole, the lower portion of the said displacement chamber being both in controlled communication at its bottom zone with the well casing and also with a liquid discharge conduit, at a position a little higher up, by virtue of the dual functioning of one set of said valvular elements generically termed of the foot-valve, while the upper zone of the displacement chamber provides for controlled communication with the liquid displacing pressure fluid line, by Way of a check valve and the other set of said valvular elements, which latter may be conveniently. termed the head valve as briefly distinguished from said foot valve, and this head valve also controls a pressure fluid conduit leadin from said pressure fluid line to the interior of said foot valves casing, the functioning of all of which elements will more specifically appear later on.

With these prefacing remarks, and for a clearer understanding of the gist of the invention as succinctly set forth in the appended claims, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating a practical embodiment of the improvements, in which drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view with some of the parts broken away, taken substantially in the plane of the line 1 of Figs. 4 to 7, and illustrating an application of the improvements within the lower end of a Well casing, the valves shown being disposed in one of their extreme positions; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 1 and substantially in the plane of the line 2 of Figs. 4 and 5 and the line 3 of Figs. 6 and 7; in which view the check valve is also shown and in its shut-ofl position; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, analogous to Fig. 2 but with all of the valves moved to their extreme positions just the reverse of those shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are transverse sectional views respectively taken substantially in the planes of the lines 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Fig, 1, the well casing being omitted; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, analogous to Fig. 1 but showing the head valve in an intermediate position, as it is being moved downwardly, and more especially illustrating a small float valve, by way of a minor modified arrangement, for controlling a relief by-pass extending from the upper zone of the displacement cham ber to the liquid discharge conduit leading to the atmosphere.

10 represents the lower end of a well casing and 11 designates a vessel, preferably i,eee,ses

of tubular form as shown, which is adapted to be suitably supported within the well casing as well as being adapted to receive the liquid to be pumped, in measured charges as it were, and also a pressure charge, functioning as fluid piston means for forcing the contained liquid through a discharge conduit leading out ofthe well. For convenience, this vessel may be properly termedthe displacement chamber, and while it may be made of different capacities we will assume that it is four feet in length and four inches in diameter," as an approximate idea of its dimensions.

The ends of this tube 11 are suitably threaded, preferably internally, for ,the proper attachment of a bottom and a top closing plug, the bottom plug 12 having a longitudinal bore 13 which may be axially disposed, or ofi'setfrom the center as shown, and the top plug provides a suitably bored and chambered closure, for various purposes, encompassed by a cylindrical contain mg wall 14.

15 designates a tubular shank of a foot valve casing, the lower end of which is slightly reducedt-o pass snugly through the bore 13 and a threaded to receive a jam-nut 16 adapted to abut an externally formed boss on the bottom of the plug 12, which arrangement permits of the foot valve casing being rigidly supported in place. Oil inlet means are provided for the tubular shank portion 15, which may consist of a series of orifices or annularly disposed ports 17 and the upper end of this shank portion merges into an open ended hollow head 18, providing an enlarged operating chamber 19 for the reception of a cupshaped piston member 20 of the reciprocating foot valve proper. Y 1

The piston" member 20 is formed with a depending stem 21, preferably hollowed out for lightness, functioning as a slide valve element controlling the ports 17, and the said piston member is also formed with an upwardly X projecting central stud 22, rounded off to serve as plug valve element, and sioned to leave a substantial sure head face 23 at the to member.

The hollow head 18 is surmounted by a ported capping head, adapted to be threaded which is dimenannular presof the piston thereon and comprising an upper and a lower a stoppering or relation by diametrically opposite vertical posts or circumferential wall sections 26, providingw ported opening or transverse passageway therebetween, as indicated at 27.

Both the upper and the lower disk sections 24: and 25'are centrally apertured, as at 28 and 29, for suitably receiving the reciprocal roundedstud 22, and they are likewise aaeaeae while the internal end thereof is connected lent means-for instance by enlarged pressure by a pipe fitting 34 with the upper end of the aperture 28 through the capping head disk 24 which is threaded to receive it.

Thesaid top closing plug is also chambored, as before referred to, providing an fluid compartment 35, and its bottom confining wall is apertu red, as at 36, to provide for a suitable communicating connection with a pressure fluid conduit 3 leading to the inlet aperture 30 of the piston member chamber 19, the pipe 37 passing through the aperture 31 of the ported capping head.

Analogously, tapped by an aperture 38 to provide for a pressure fluid communicating connection with an elongated valve pot 39 depending within the aforesaid displacement chamber and having a series of ports 40 opening into the upper zone thereof, which ports are controlled by a suitably mounted retractile piston valve element 41. function somewhat after the fashion of a pop valve arrangement associated with a .coil spring 42, but it is obvious that the same end could be accomplished by equivathe employment of a U-bent pipe, instead of the valve pct 39, with its free end upturned and providing a valve seat, also functioning as an outlet port, upon which a gravitating check 1 valve is suitably mounted and retained so as to be opens .line '48 by way by the pressure fluid and closed, by its own weight, when the pressure fluid is shut off.

The top closing plug is further provided with. an elongated vertical valve bore, the upper section 43 of which is of restricted diameter and merges at its lower end into an enlarged valve head chamber 44, opening into the aforesaid dis lacemen-t chamber but maintained closed irectly thereto as will later appear.

A pressure fluid partment 35 is shown at 46, being in controlled communication with a pressure flui of an elongated port 47,

opening into sald bore 43 at a position op posed to the port 46.

49 indicates a port opening between the bore 32 and the valve 56 is a cooperating port opening between said valve head chamber and the upper end of the aforesaid displacement chamber by the compartment 35 is also This is shown to inlet port for the com-.

head chamber 44, and

.adapted to'be brought into and out of registration with the C1port openings 46 and 47, it being understoo that the parts 52 and 54 are snugly fitted to reciprocate within their respective bore housings 43 and 44 to function in the manner of a slide valve, for respectively controlling communication between the port openings 46-47 and 49- 50,

and in fact they constitute the head valve proper of the improved pump.

55 simply indicates a cross-bar within the to of the displacement chamber underneath the valve head bore 44 which cross-bar may be suitably supported at its ends by the pipe 37 and the dash pct 39, its function being tolimit the downward movement of the head valve to prevent the latter from entirely dropping. out of its housing bores; but it is obvious that any other means may be employed for this purpose.

56 designates afloat suspended from the valve head 54 by a shank or stem passing through an aperture in the cross-bar 55, and in the slightly modified arrangement, illustrated at Fig. 8, there is also shown any suitably mounted float valve 57 associated with the tapping orifice 51, forming apart of the by-pass channel before mentioned; but these float elements are only for minor details, eitherone or both of which may be employed or dispensed with, largely dependent upon expediency under some conditions, and their specific functioning will orifice 51, the arrangement disposed later appear 1n the particular statement of Operations. 7 When the head of oil in the well casing is below the operative level of the heat valve, it is obvious that pumping action will for ,by making a manufacture so ber may only be filled to that level also under such conditions. However, if the oil has risen in the well casing substantially above the head valve, and assuming that the parts are positioned as in Figs. 1 and 2,-then it follows that The' head valve has been moved to its extreme'lowermost position, the pressure fluid receiving chamber 35 being closed to its supply line 48, by the stem 52 covering the port openings 46-47, and the by-pass channel 4944'5051 being open betweenthe up per end'of the displacement chamber and the bore 32, while the check valve 41 will be positioned above its complementary ports thus closing communication,through the aperture 38, between the displacement chamber and the pressure fluid receiving chamber 35. Reversely, the footvalve is elevated to its extreme uppermost position, with the stud plu 22 thereof stoppering the aperture 28, in w ich is fitted the inner end of the discharge pipe connection 34, and with the depending stem 21 of the piston member uncovering the ports 17 through the hollow shank 15 of the foot valve casing. It is therefore apparent that communication will be closed between the lower end of the displacement chamber and the outlet conduit pipe 34, by means of the stud plug 22, while it is open between the well casing and the displacement chamber .by way of the lower end ofthe hollow shank 15 and uncovered ports 17. Accordingly the oil will flow freely into the displacement chamber correspondingly increase the pressure with in the displacement chamber. Under such' from the well casing,.under whatever head pressure it may have in the latter, and during this flow a vent, for any cushioning ai above the volume of oil'in the displacement chamber, is provided by the by-pass channel leading through the chamber 44 to the bore 32.

As the rising oil level approximates the top of the displacement chamber its pressure alone, directly upon the bottom face of the enlarged valve head 54, will ordinarily suffice to properly elevate the head valve 52-54 as an entirety. This would be especially true perhaps where the head of oil stood high up in the well casing and would high pressure conditions, however, oil might be spurted up through the orifice 51 and into the chamber 44 above the valve head 54, which to an extent might impede the upward movement of the head valve after the fashion of a dash pot or liquid cushioning means, and even by the admission of a choking foreign substance contained in the Oll. On the other hand, should the 011 rise slowly in the dis lacement chamber, under a low pressure, t e chance of such conditions arising would doubtless be augmented, because asestae there would be no accelerated impulse in l the upward actuation oi the head. valve which there would be in a more or less dewould probably run up .into the chamber 44 before the head valve closed the port 50, if indeed under an exceedingly low pressure the head valve was raised at all. At

any event it is not desirable that oil fromthe displacement chamber should actually get into the chamber 44 at all, if only because it would likely suspend grit which would tend to cut or ab-rade the smoothly lfinished surfaces of the valve head and its ore.

To provide for possible low pressure con ditions, therefore, it would seem to be ad- .visable to independently control the bypass venting channel, unless the upward actuation of the head valve was made more positive, andsuitable means are illustrated in Fig. 8 by a conventionally shownfloat valve 57 cooperating with the orifice 51 as a valve seattherefor, whereby the small float valve would close that orifice before the oil itself coiild reach the latter. Also, this vent bevantage for the reasonsjust stated and alsoas before stated with reference to the posible spurting of oil up into the chamber 44 above the enlarged valve head 54.

On the other hand, this independent control of the'by-pass channel is not always strictly essential, as for instance where the head valve is provided with a rigidly suspended float, as indicated at 56 in Figs. 1 to 3, for by this arrangement the head valve would be started upwardly when the oil level rose above the lowest position of its float, whereupon the valve head 54 would first close the port 50 and subsequently the port 49, so that the oil would never reach the orifice 51, the downward displacement of the oil volume being started immediately upon the head valve completing its upward stroke, as will shortly appear.

Viewed as a whole, however, and congree under a high pressure, and the oily sidering variations in the head of oil in the well casing which will cause a higher or lower pressure upwardly in the displacement chamber, it may be desirable to equip the pump with both the head valve float terfering with the satisfactory operation of the pump.

The displacement chamber having been filled with. liquid from the well casing and the head valve elevated to its uppermost position as shown in .Fig. 3, the relief orifice 45 serving as a vent into the chamber 35 for any cushioning air above the stem 52, then the annular groove 53 of the stem 52 will have been brought into registration with the port openings 46-47. The operating pressure fluid, from its supply line 48, will thus fill up the receiving chamber 35 and passing down the pipe 37 will enter the foot valves chamber 19 above the pressure face 23 of the piston member 20.

Even though the pressure from the head of oil in the wellcasing is greater than that of the operating fluid, which is very frequently the case, the difference will be compensated for by the proportionate area of the pressure face 23 of the piston member, so that the foot valve will e immediately actuated downwardly and the lower end of the stem 21 will close the ports 17 slightly in advance of the stud plug 22 unstoppering the aperture 28 or the lower end of the liquid discharge pipe connection 34.

The pressure from the well casing being thus relieved, the check valve 41' will then be' forced downwardly, by the operating pressure fluid from the receiving chamber 35, to'uncover the ports 40, whereupon said pressure fluid entering the upper end of the displacement chamber, through said ports 40, will displace its contained liquid and force the same through the transverse passageway 27 of the foot valves capping head, and thence up, through the aperture 28, pipe connection 34, bore 32 and plpe 33 to the final discharge outlet exteriorly of the well.

When the oil level in the displacement chamber falls below the ported opening 27 the pressure fluid itself will then pass therethrough and upthe discharge conduit, be-- hind the column of oil being discharged through the latter. During all of this time the pressure, through the ipe 37 on the face '23 of the piston mem er 20, perhaps supplemented by the internal pressure on the top face of the stud plug-22, will hold the foot valve down in its lowermost position; but as soon as any substantial relief is afforded for the back pressure of the column of oil, as will be the case when the dischar e conduit is directly opened 'to the atmosp ere, owing to the substantial expulsion of its column of oil, it will be obvious that the pressure within the displacement chamber will also be commensurately relieved, .and there being no buoyant support for the head valve it will gravitateagain to its lowermost position, its action being made more positive by the adm1ss1on of the prescation,

- ensuing claims,

off again it will be evident that the foot valve will in turn be reelevated to its uppermost position by the pressure of the head of 011 in the well casing, and also the check valve 41 will be retracted to close communibetween the displacement chamber and the pressure through the tapping aperture 38, while commumcationbetween the upper end of the displacement chamber and the bore 32 will be open again, through the by-pass channel, as soon as the head valve drops. Thus the parts are automatically restored to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and refilling. of the displacement chamber occurs during the cessation of the pumping force.

fluid receiving chamber 35,

It will also be evident that bythe employment of a common fluid pressure line, of

which the pipe 48 is one branch only, any

number of wells may be equipped with in improved pumps. which will be automatically caused to function conjointly with or independently of. anyof the others, a feature of considerable importance when viewed from the aspect of my prefacing remarks and the known needs of the industry.

While I have thus made a complete disprovements, it may sirable or expedient to make minor alterations or substitutions in the form and structural arrangement of elements, but without departing from the spirit of the invention; and it will be understood, therefore, that I do not limit myself necessarily to the exact details shown and described, excepting as they may come within the purview of the when fairly interpreted in "closure of a practical embodiment of my imlater be found to be dethe light of the specification and understood equivalents.

What'I do claim, as new and patentable, 1s:-

1. An automatic pump set forth, embodying a suitably walled displacement chamber, adapted;- for immersion as a bodily whole ina volume of liquid to be pumpe including a liquid mlet, a l quid outlet and a displacing pressure flui inlet,

' outlet being positioned tothe said liquid ward one end'of said chamber and the said pressure fluid inlet toward the other end thereof; in combination with means automatically operable to open and close said pressure fluid inlet relatively to its source of supply; and means automatically operable to close said liquid outlet while opening said liquid liquid inlet while opening said liquid outlet, when the displacing pressure fluid is cut on, substantially as described.

of the character in; I inlet, whenthe displacing pressure fluid is cut off, and reversely to close said as a bodily whole in a volume of liquid to within said chamber,

liquid outlet, when the be pumped, including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a displaclng pressure fluid inlet, the said liquidoutlet being positioned at the lower zone of said chamber and the said pressure fluid inlet at the upper zone thereof; in combination with means automatically operable to open and close said pressure fluid inlet relatively to the source of its ressure fluid supply; and means operable y the incoming liquid to close said liquid outlet while opening said liquid inlet, when the displacing pressure fluid is cut off, and reversely operable by said pressure fluid to close said liquid inlet while opening said liquid outlet, when the displacing pressure fluid is cut on, substantially as described.

3. An automatic pump of the character set forth, embodying a suitably walled displacement chamber, adapted for immersion as a bodily whole in a volume of liquid to be pumped, including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a displacing pressure fluid inlet, the said liquid outlet being positioned at the lower zone of said chamber and the said pressure fluid inlet at the upper zone thereof; in combination with means operable, by the rising level of inflowing liquid within said chamber, to open said pressure fluid inlet relatively to the source of its pressure fluid supply and reversely operable, by a back pressure of said. pressure fluid itself, to cut off its supply source; and means automatically operable to close said liquid outlet while opening said liquid inlet, when the displacing pressure fluid is cut off, and reversely to close said liquid inlet while opening said displacing pressure fluid is cut on, substantially as "described.

4. An automatic pump of the character set forth, embodying a suitably walled displacement chamber, adapted for immersion as a bodily whole in a volume of liquid to be pumped, including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a displacing pressure fluid inlet, the said liquid outlet being positioned toward the bottom of said chamber and the said pressure fluid inlet toward the top thereof; in combination with meansoperable, by the rising level of inflowing liquid to open said pressure fluid inlet relatively to the source of its pressure fluid supply and a back pressure ofisaid pressure fluid itself, to cut off its supply source; and means operable by the incoming liquid to close said reversely operable, by

messes 5. An automatic pump of the character set forth, embodying a suitably walled displacement chamber, adapted for immersion as a bodily whole in a volume of liquid to be .pumped, including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a displacing pressure fluid inlet, the said outlet being positioned toward the lower end of said chamber and the said pressure fluid inlet toward the upper end thereof; in combination with means automatically operable to open and close said pressure fluid inlet relatively to the source of its pressure fluid supply; and a reciprocatingly incased foot valve operable by the incoming liquid to close said liquid outlet while opening said liquid inlet, when the displacing pressure fluid is cut oflt, and reversely operable by said pressure fluid to close said liquid inlet while opening said liquid outlet, when the displacing pressure fluid is cut on, the said foot valve being of unitary structure, having a depending stem slidingly associated with said liquid inlet and a stoppering plug cooperating with said liquid outlet, substantially as described 6. An automatic pump of the character set forth, embodying a suitably walled displacement chamber, adapted for immersion as a bodily Whole in a volume of liquid to be pumped, including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a displacing pressure fluid inlet, the said liquid outlet being positioned toward the bottom of said chamber and the said pressure fluid inlet toward the top thereof; in combination with means operable, by the rising level of inflowing liquid within said chamber,"'to open said pressure fluid inlet relatively to the source of its pressure fluid supply and reversely operable, by a back pressure of said pressure fluid itself, to cut off its source of supply, the said means comprising a reciprocatingly incased head valve, suitably associated with portways and having a pressure face opposed to the upper interior spaceof said displacement chamber; and means automatically operable to close said liquid outlet while opening said liquid inlet, when the displacing pressure fluid is cut oil, and reversely to close said liquidinlet'while opening said liquid outlet,

when the displacing pressure fluid is substantially as described.

7. An automatic pump of the character set forth, embodying a suitably walled displacement chamber, adapted for immersion as a cut on,

bodily whole in a volume of liquid to be I pressure fluid through said pressure fluid inlet, respectively, upon a-predetermined rising When the displacing pressure fluid is cut OE, and falling of the level of liquid Within said and i'eversely to close said liquid inlet While displacement chamber, which head valve opening said liquid outlet, When the dis- 10 and venting means may be equipped with placing pressure fluid is cut on, substantially 5 suitable controlling floats as. desired; and as described,

means automatically operable to close said In testimgiif whereof, I afiix my signature.

liquid outlet While opening said liquid inlet, ARLES B. 'PENDLETON. 

